Sahara Desert Trek on a Budget, Erg Chebbi, Morocco

While in Fez it occurred to us that we could maybe fit in a trek into the Sahara during our time in Morocco. We stopped into a local tourist agency thinking we might save on time by getting a prepackaged tour that would hopefully be in our budget. The 300 Euro per person price tag seemed a little hefty, but we considered the fact that we'd get a comfortable ride with a private driver from Fez to the desert and then onward to Marrakesh. Nice and simple.

Then we came across this post on a helpful travel blog, The Adventures of Kevin and Robin, "DIY Fes to Marrakesh through Erg Chebbi Desert, Morocco". The well-detailed directions provided suggested we might be able to do the same trip for under 100 Euros per person. A way better price!

We pretty much followed the same itinerary. Before leaving Fez, we dropped a note via email to the Auberge la Source to pass on details about our arrival and our intentions to go into the desert. We received a reply fairly quickly confirming we would be able to get in on a desert tour for the cost of 25 Euros for one night and 60 Euros for two per person.

The next day we took the public bus to Rissani from Fez at 6:30am (there are also busses leaving at 10am and 10pm). The bus cost 110 Dirham (or about 10 euros) per person and the station is located just outside the Bab Bou Jeloud entrance to the Fez medina. Taking the public bus to Rissani was quite an adventure - a 12 hour odyssey with lovely views of the countryside during which we stopped in what seemed like every small town between Fez and Rissani.

When we arrived in Rissani, a short drive from Merzuga, we decided to spend the night there so we could check out the village and market in the morning. We also wanted to try madfouna, a sort of Berber calzone, a large flat bread stuffed with seasoned meat. Our guidebook mentioned that a good one could be had at Chez M'Berek and we weren't disappointed.

The following day, we were picked up in Rissani by Auberge La Source who took us out to their hotel in Hari Labri at the edge of the Sahara desert. We were given a room at the hotel where we could store our belongings and take a shower upon our return from our desert trek. The hotel was very clean with large, well appointed rooms and we were a little tempted to stay the night there but the desert beckoned.

We met a couple from England and two friends from Australia who were also planning to head out that same evening. As luck would have it, we all seemed to hit it off pretty quickly and before we knew it, all 6 of us had decided to go for the 2 night tour. Originally, only the Australians had planned to do both nights, but they and the gorgeous views of the desert quickly convinced us that one night would not be enough.

All of us packed small bags with a few belongings for our campout and as sunset neared, we got on our camels and made our way to the desert camp. It was magical, the views were out of this world and riding a camel is unlike any other experience I've ever had. The trip to the camp took a little over an hour and upon our arrival our guides made us tea and settled us into a large comfy tent where we waited for dinner, yummy tagine.

After dinner we enjoyed a campfire and Berber music and were encouraged to sing and play along. Our group was a fun one and I think we ended up contributing our fair share of entertainment that evening, though I expect our rendition of Yellow Submarine left somewhat less of a stellar impression on our guides than their performance left on us. They were very good sports about it though.

In the morning, we rose early to watch the sunrise over the dunes and after breakfast we traveled by camel to another camp where we spent the afternoon exploring the dunes, met a nomadic family and ate more delicious food before returning to our camp for dinner. Unlike our first night in the desert, we were joined by a larger group of travelers on the second night and the evening was much less intimate, but still memorable.

The next day, we rose early again and returned to the hotel where we thankfully had just enough time to take a shower before we were driven to the bus station to catch our ride to Marrakesh - this time on the much more comfortable SupraTours tourist bus, which cost about 25 Euros.

Here's a rundown of our expenses (in Euros per person):

Desert trek, 4 days, 3 nights

Bus to Rissani, 10
Hotel in Rissani with half-board (dinner and breakfast), 35
Two nights in the desert, 60
Bus to Marrakesh, 25
Total: 130 Euros per person

It was an altogether wonderful experience that I expect will be one of the highlights of our around-the-world journey. We had many unforgettable experiences, ate delicious food and enjoyed the fantastic company of our fellow travelers throughout.

Getting ready to head out on the camels

Off to visit a nomad family on day 2

Team shot

Sunrise over the dunes

Exploring the dunes

One of the delicious meals we enjoyed in the desert